When will athletes benefit from mental skills training?
When athletes wish to maximize their physical and technical talents or go as far as possible in their sports. Some specific indicators for when an athlete may benefit from mental skills training are when he or she: • Performs much better in practice than in competition. • Entertains self-doubts about him / herself (doubt in own abilities) before and during competition. • Feels very nervous or very anxious or even “chokes” in competition. • Has tough time playing well because others (i.e. family or crowd) are watching them. • Only plays their sport to feel better about him/herself as a person. • Easily loses focus or has mental concentration lapses while competing. • Although 100% physically fit – can’t seem to perform the way he / she did before getting injured. • Loses confidence quickly or lacks confidence even after tasting success. • Has difficulty rebounding from mistakes or hanging on to mistakes for too long. • Wants to improve and maintain motivation. • Wishes to develop good h
